Xybat
Xybat is the name of what was once the most powerful nation in human history, rivaling the modern-day Telwyan Empire centuries before its coming. Had it existed today, it would no doubt be the undisputed peak of human civilization. Xybatians are known for their strange and exotic culture, as well as their highly unconventional religion that does not involve the worship or communion with deities or spirits any kinds, a practice entirely unheard of in most of the western world. While their vast empire has long since fallen, a permanent mark has been left on the human civilizations of the west by the hordes of refugees that desperately made their way to the heartlands after their fall, bringing with them their magic, technology and traditions. History Little is known about the history of the Xybatians. All that is known, is that a few centuries ago, they tampered with powerful magic sealed away in an ancient, underground temple, resulting in the creation of a deadly plague that killed any it touched and turned them into ravenous undead. Efforts to contain it ultimately turned desperate, and in a somewhat ironic fashion, they managed to finally prevent it from engulfing the world by using another ancient, forgotten spell written upon the inner walls of the temple, which ultimately destroyed most of the undead hordes- but also obliterated a large chunk of the empire's landmass, turning the peninsula it all started on into a massive island which to this day remains beset by hordes of undead. What remained of the empire after this catastrophy quickly crumbled; many tried to rebuild what they could on what remained of their empire, but they soon found themselves beset by a horrible miasma that caused the land to wither, and many undead began drifting ashore. Once it became clear that Xybat had no chance of recovery, a large portion of their population migrated to other lansd inhabited by human. Many remained however, determined to at the very least maintain the empire's shadow, and preventing the undead from gaining a foothold on the mainland. Modern day Xybat is a ravaged land that holds fast for no reason other than the simple fact that everyone knows any degree of dissent could lead to disaster. At best, the destruction of much of Xybat; at worst, the continent. Meanwhile, in the northernmost province of the empire known as Viskel, the religious center of the empire, infighting began occuring between the various Whiz'are orders, as they found themselves unable to peacefully select new religious leaders, as those who had previously lead the various orders had channeled the massively destructive spell that shattered their empire and the undead hordes, and had thus died in the ensuing explosion. Those among them who refused to take part in the power-struggle decided to go out into the world and peacefully spread their teachings, eventually becoming known as Wizards. To this day, Viskel remains a region beset by conflict and civil war, only occassionally lending their aid to the shattered empire they were once part of in order to keep the undead threat in check. Culture and Religion Government & Politics Some would describe the political climate of Xybat a warzone, and they wouldn't be far from the truth. Amidst the aristocracy, political intruige, espionage and rumor-mongering is a part of daily life, and those of the upper class either learn to manuever this extremely intricate and complex landscape or isolate themselves from their peers. Although the status of upper class citizens within Xybatian society is inherited, any family interested in remaining in that position must work tirelessly to maintain it as the extremely meritocratic mindset of Xybatians can easily see a powerful family's status diminish due to an inability to meet the strict standard that is demanded of them. In the interest of making the maintenance of one's family's status easier, a system exists wherein the head of an aristocratic family can become the patron of a citizen of the middle or lower class, which from a legal standpoint functions as a manner of adoption with the patron effectively taking on a parental role. In most cases, an individual's reason for accepting a patronage offer from a member of the upper class is either for the sake of monetary and vocal support in gaining a position within a prestigous academy, or to build connections within the upper class. In return, the person offered the patronage will often work for the family for a time with the ultimate goal of increasing their reputation by showing certain levels of aptitude. Patronages can either be temporary or permanent- in the former case either if both individuals have gotten what they wanted (in which case, they will most likely remain on good terms), or because of individual did not prove as deft as the patron had hoped. In the case of a permanent patronage it's nearly always a case of both parties deciding that it serves their interest to make the individual a permanent member of the family. In extreme cases, if the individual given patronage is either exceptionally talented, or the patron's biological children (if they have any) are so inept as to threaten the family's status, the individual given patronage can even be made next in line as head of the family. Religion Unlike most religions, Xybatian religion does not involve the worship or reverence of deities of any sort. Instead, it centers around a variety of concepts describing what they believe to be the inner working of reality. Perhaps is the most important element of Xybatian religion is the concept of the "Fas" and "Tufas". The "Fas" describes the concept that the entire universe is wholly interconnected, and that consciousness is merely a figment of the universe's greater subconsciousness. The "Tufas" meanwhile, is the concept that reality naturally bends in favour of those who have the will, determination and spirit to do so, a principle that serves as the foundation for their beliefs about magic; that the act of casting a spell is merely imposing one's will upon reality. It is also their belief that through collective effort, a large enough group may encourage the universe to shift in their favour. It is because of this principle that Xybatians do not worship gods, for although they do not deny their existence, they defy the notion of worshipping them, instead wishing to strive towards the empowerment of their civilization by gaining the collective will to influence reality- in essence, creating a collective will with enough influence that their society itself becomes a kind of god. Old Version: Rework Pending Unlike most religions, Xybatian beliefs do not involve any gods, deities or spirits, but rather centers around the abstract concepts of Ohrax Ven and Fas, concepts driven by philosophy and thought as opposed to faith in a higher power. Ohrax Ven is a Xybatian term refering to the 'wide universe', necessitated by the belief that the universe, as opposed to being a single, concrete reality, consists of multiple overlapping realities that constantly affect each other, but cannot be observed by any known means. Mana in certain states is believed to flow freely between them: this is the concept of Ohrax Ven Zhuwa, the ley-lines, the natural rivers of mana that flow across the world and, according to Xybatian beliefs, between realities. Fas on the other hand, is a belief that all things are connected, and are anchored to reality by the mana that inhabits them no matter how minute the quantities, enforcing the rules of reality- it is through manipulating this force that magic is performed, and souls are key components in conscious existence that separate living things from that which isn't. Another closely linked concept is that of Tufas, a belief in a cosmic subconciousness that permeates the Ohrax Ven. Instead of being a single entity, the Tufas is believed to be the collective subconciousness of reality itself and all beings that inhabit it, and it is commonly believed that should a sufficient number of beings strive towards the same goal, the Tufas will shift in favour of that goal, bending reality to make it more achievable, a belief that makes notions of working as a group popular in Xybatian culture, a fact that shows in their common practice of group-casting. This is the belief practiced by the Whiz'are, the main mage class of Xybat, who also serve as cholars, philosophers and religious leaders. Parallel to the Whiz'are are the Whiz'bahn, a group that arose later in Xybatian history, following a belief system that subverts the ideals promoted by the concept of Tufas: in accordance with the beliefs of the Whiz'bahn, through sufficient discipline, willpower, personal growth and sheer magical prowess, one can bend the cosmic subconciousness single-handedly, promoting individuality and independant growth. According to many Whiz'bahn, should one reach a sufficient level of ability to influence the Tufas, one will essentialy attain godhood. While the ideals of the Whiz'bahn were generally frowned upon by the much more numerous Whiz'are, their shared beliefs in the concepts of Ohrax Ven, as well as the Xybatians' overall religious tolerance, lead to there being little conflict between the two groups, and occassionally even intermingling philosophical and religious concepts as a result of their peaceful coexistance.